


i don't need a hero... but i do want you

by FateChica



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Underage Drinking, because she is a badass, in which mike comes to save el but el saves herself, rated for suggestive language and swearing, the frat party meet cute no one asked for, tw for attempted assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:21:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26089360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FateChica/pseuds/FateChica
Summary: Mike stands there lamely, mouth agape as he tries to understand what just happened, how this tiny slip of a girl laid out a guy who is almost twice her size.She looks at him, a sharp grin on her face. “Friend of yours?” she asks archly.Mike blinks, brain still two steps behind, and manages to shake his head. “No, um, no. Just… was coming to save you, I guess? Or just help? But looks like you didn’t need any help, so…..”It’s only now that Mike is focusing on her, brain having managed to catch up, that it hits him: she’s fuckinggorgeous.Oh boy....-Mikehatesfrat parties: too many stupid people doing too many stupid things.But a chance encounter with a pretty girl and a botched attempt at a rescue might just get him to reconsider.....
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 26
Kudos: 186





	i don't need a hero... but i do want you

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody!
> 
> Yes, it is more than halfway through 2020 and I am _still_ unable to stop writing Mileven fic, lmao.
> 
> This is an idea I'd been bouncing around in my head since at least the middle of last year, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity to write it! It's also me dipping my toe into college-aged Mileven to see how I liked it and, well, mission success on that one!
> 
> So, I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And, as always, tell me what you think!

Sweaty bodies packed on a cramped dance floor. Humid, pungent air sticking to every pore. People shouting over ear-destroying music and the smell of stale, warm beer.

 _God,_ Mike hates parties.

The small patch of frat house living room wall Mike has been able to claim as his own is his only lifeline in this sea of madness. And as he leans against the wall, he tries not to think about what might be _on_ that wall and seeping in through his linen button-down (which is _supposed_ to be “distressed”, but Mike thinks probably just looks wrinkled) – if he lets his thoughts go down that road, he’ll end up diving out a damn window or something equally as dramatic.

Instead, Mike forces himself to pay attention to the dance floor in front of him. All the furniture in the living room has been cleared out, off to parts unknown (though if Mike had to guess, he’d bet it’s out in the backyard), which just means that more people than is probably safe are now able to bump and grind and flail like idiots. There’s no amount of money in the universe that would get Mike to be out there with all those people.

 _So why are you even still here?_ his brain taunts him, making Mike sneer as he raises the cup he’s holding up to his lips. The slightly bitter, lukewarm beer washes across his tongue, turning the sneer into a grimace.

Honestly, why _is_ he still here? He could be back at the house he shares with the Party, alone where it’s quiet and he could read or play video games or, hell, even make a dent in the mountain of school work he has despite it being only the end of the first week of his Junior year (upper divs at Northwestern are no fucking joke, especially for an engineering major). Then he wouldn’t have to be _here,_ moping and unhappy and sweaty.

But before Mike can even think about making an escape, the sea of writhing bodies parts and both Lucas and Dustin come into view, all laughs and broad smiles, each holding a fresh beer in their hands. “Mike, man! You have _got_ to get out there,” Dustin says as he gets close, free hand coming up to clap hard on Mike’s shoulder.

Mike winces, but doesn’t shrug off Dustin’s hand. “I’m good here,” he says, shouting loud enough to be heard over the music. “You guys having fun?”

“Dude, it’s _amazing!”_ Lucas replies. 

“There are so many girls out on the dance floor, it’s _insane,”_ Dustin says, chiming in. “Everyone’s here to have a good time and, man, do those girls show it.” Dustin knocks back his beer, draining at least half of it, before letting out a pleased sigh. 

Lucas follows suit. “God, it’s stupid hot in here, though,” he says after swallowing, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand

Mike quirks a smile. “Welcome to August in Illinois,” he says with an arch of his eyebrow.

Dustin snorts. “Yeah, ain’t that the– ” He cuts off as his gaze slides off somewhere in the distance and, a split-second later, a beaming smile appears on his face as he spots someone he knows. “Tim, hey!” Dustin falls out, arm waving in the air like a maniac. “My Circuits lab partner. Gonna go say hi – be right back,” Dustin says to Mike and Lucas before he pushes away.

Once Dustin is gone, swallowed up by the crowd once more, Mike turns in time to see Lucas giving him a sharp look. “So, how are you _really_ doing? And don’t lie to me – I can see right through your bullshit.” 

It’s true, as much as Mike hates it – it’s a _lot_ harder to hide things from Lucas than it is Dustin, so Mike doesn’t even try. “Kinda wishing I was still at home,” Mike says with a tight, humorless grin. “Honestly, I don’t know how you two managed to convince me to come to this party.”

If Lucas is at all sympathetic to Mike’s plight, he doesn’t show it. “Oh, please. We talked about it for all of 15 seconds before you agreed to go, so don’t even try me with that. You could have stayed home and you know it.” Lucas sighs and rolls his eyes. “You just don’t want to put yourself out there again, is what it is. Admit it, man, you’re _scared.”_

Mike scowls and fights the urge to curl in on himself. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The look Lucas gives Mike is firm, but kind, and completely at odds with the party atmosphere around them. “Mike, you forget that we all saw what happened after you and Jessica broke up.”

The mention of Mike’s ex-girlfriend’s name is like a punch in the gut and he fights to keep a straight face. It’s not that it still hurts, but Mike really doesn’t like thinking about how the only serious relationship he’s ever had turned out to be a failure.

He’d met Jessica Townsend – a pretty, quirky blonde – in his Intro to Calc class the first semester of freshman year and while they hadn’t hit it off _right_ away, it didn’t take them long to realize that there was something there between them. They’d dated all throughout freshman year and, going long distance over the summer while she went back to New York City and he to Hawkins, only to make it only a month into their sophomore year before they agreed that there wasn’t any _there_ there, anymore. 

It hadn’t been love, which is easy to see after the fact. There had been times where Mike _thought_ it might be love, but, in all honesty, it was just lust. He still cares for her, but in a more distant sense. 

And it doesn’t even hurt to see her, or anything – he occasionally sees her in some of his classes, what with her being a Physics major, and all – but Mike does admit he misses the feeling of just _being_ with someone, sometimes. He misses having someone to hold hands with and talk to at the end of a long day while they cuddle in bed, misses having someone to kiss and snuggle and hold.

_(and, yes, he misses sex. he’s a 20-year old guy who managed to find a girl who was willing to sleep with him on the regular – **of course** he misses sex.) _

The problem is that Mike doesn’t know if he can put all that energy into someone again only for it to end up going nowhere. He’d been _miserable_ in the weeks after the breakup – convinced that there was something wrong with him, that no one could ever love him or would ever want to be with him. And when the misery faded, he’d just been tired and weary.

And, honestly, Mike doesn’t know if there’s a woman out there who could get him to consider making the effort.

But Mike _really_ doesn’t want to talk about this right now – not here in a gross, teeming frat house surrounded by drunk, horny college kids. “Yeah, well, that might be true, but doesn’t mean _this_ is the answer,” Mike says, biting. 

In a frenzied motion, he knocks back the rest of his beer – which is only a few sips – and pushes away from the wall, not even looking at Lucas. “Anyway, I’m going to go get another drink.” His tone is short and snippy and Mike _knows_ he sounds childish, but he doesn’t care. He feels called out and he doesn’t like it.

“Hey, don’t run away because you know I’m right!” Lucas calls after him, to which Mike just flips him off and keeps on walking.

Honestly, Mike doesn’t even _want_ a beer. But it’s better than letting Lucas poke at all of Mike’s weak spots and Mike’s just the right kind of stupid and bullheaded stubborn to commit to a plan he actually wants no part of.

Mike makes it about 5 feet across the crowded dance floor before he realizes that there’s going to be no cutting straight across it to the kitchen where he knows the kegs of beer are. He’s forced back out to the edge, like a shot ricocheting off metal, and left to work his way _around_ the crowd instead of through.

The plastic of the empty cup crinkles beneath Mike’s grip as frustration ripples through him. It’s like fighting against molasses and Mike grits his teeth as he pushes past the edge of the crowd that seems to want to run him over and swallow him whole.

And, yet, it somehow gets even _worse._

A fight breaks out less than 10 feet away just as Mike’s passing by and the whole crowd pushes back like oil separating on water. Mike has no choice but to be forced out into the dark hallway that leads towards the backyard and he grumbles when he realizes that, if he wants another drink, he’s going to have to go _around the whole fucking house._

The noise that Mike lets out is pure frustration – a strangled groan that dies in the back of his throat, leaving a sharp, bitter taste on his tongue. But he’s not about to add to the chaos that pushed him out, so Mike doesn’t fight it as he slinks off towards the backyard, hoping he can figure out some way to circle back around and make his way to the kitchen _somehow._

He doesn’t make it 30 feet before something _else_ catches his eye.

Out of the corner of his eye, tucked away in an alcove/seating area type thing not far from what Mike can only assume is a den, is a guy and a girl. It’s the way the guy is standing that catches Mike’s eye – a certain set to his shoulders, the way he hovers over the girl as he backs her into a corner. Mike can barely see the girl, given how this guy is crowding her, but the way she’s holding herself with tense arms and weight resting back on one foot makes a shiver run down the back of his neck.

Every instinct screams that this doesn’t seem right and Mike, like the good guy he was raised to be, can’t drag himself away.

And, just as Mike makes the decision to see if everything’s ok, the guy takes another step closer to her until he’s practically pushed her up against the wall.

“...going to give you one last chance to _go away,”_ Mike hears as he gets closer, the girl’s voice tight with what Mike thinks is probably fear.

“Aww, c’mon sweetheart, you know you want this,” the guy says before he reaches for her, fingers wrapping tight around her arm.

Revulsion churns in Mike’s stomach and the resulting outrage prickles along every inch of his skin. He’s committed now, never mind that this guy probably has at least 30 pounds on him – women aren’t supposed to be treated this way and Mike’s not going to stand by and let this douche assault an innocent girl.

“Hey, what’s going on – !” Mike starts to say, but he doesn’t think either of the two in front of him has a chance to register his presence before something completely unexpected happens.

The girl – who’s probably all of 5’5” tall, 120 soaking wet if she’s an ounce – grabs the guy’s hand with the one opposite the arm he’s clutching onto. She does some sort of _twisting_ thing, forcing him to let go before bending his wrist back at an unnatural angle. She lashes out with one foot, strategically aimed to force one of his knees to buckle, before she pulls back and clocks him with a well-aimed fist to the face.

This all happens in less than 3 seconds and it’s like Mike just _blinks_ and the asshole is on the ground, dazed and in pain while he tries to clutch at his various injuries.

“...here?” Mike stands there lamely, mouth agape as he tries to understand what just happened, how this tiny slip of a girl laid out a guy who is almost twice her size.

She looks at him, a sharp grin on her face. “Friend of yours?” she asks archly.

Mike blinks, brain still two steps behind, and manages to shake his head. “No, um, _no._ Just… was coming to save you, I guess? Or just help? But looks like you didn’t need any help, so…..”

It’s only now that Mike is focusing on her, brain having managed to catch up, that it hits him: she’s fucking _gorgeous._

Svelte curves wrapped in a pale pink, full pleated skirt that ends part way down her thighs and a navy blue kimono top, wrapped to expose the sweep of her collarbones and the shadow of the valley between her breasts, with just the thinnest band of skin above the hem of her skirt left bare to complement it; lush honey chestnut hair left to spill down her shoulders in gentle waves; lightly tanned skin that looks smooth to the touch and full, pink lips that look all too kissable.

 _Oh boy,_ a voice whimpers weakly in the back of his mind. It feels like he’s just stuck his finger into an electrical socket. Every inch of him practically _vibrates_ with excitement and Mike isn’t sure if he’s dreaming or if the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen is _actually_ standing in front of him, holding herself like she’s a warrior hero.

It takes a couple of very dazed seconds for Mike to realize that he’s staring like a fucking loser, all but openly checking her out _right after_ she was all but assaulted by another guy, and he kicks himself for being so fucking lame. 

He shakes himself out of his stupor and forces himself to focus on her eyes _(which doesn’t help because, holy shit, her eyes are the warmest shade of brown he’s ever seen and he just wants to fall into them and never come out)._ “Are you ok?” he asks, words coming out feeling like he’s speaking with a mouthful of marbles, but completely earnest nonetheless.

Her expression softens and something that looks like gratitude alights in her eyes. “Yeah, I’m ok.” 

Mike nods, feeling every inch of his 6’2” frame fill with awkward energy. Turns out there’s nothing for him to do here after all. “Right, so, looks like you, uh, have everything handled, so I’ll just–”

Mike starts to leave, but the sound of her voice halts him in his tracks. “Hey, wait!” Slowly and with uncertainty creeping up into his shoulders, Mike turns back. He looks at her and is blessed with the honor of being on the receiving end of the cutest, most adorable, most beautiful smile he’s ever seen. Her smile is small and a little shy, but it’s warm and it makes her eyes sparkle in the most enchanting way as she steps towards him. Mike’s heart stops for half a beat at the sight before it trips over itself as it starts back up in double time. 

She tilts her head just so, hair falling over one shoulder like a waterfall of silk. “You just gonna save a girl and then run?” Her voice is soft and lilting, gentle and feminine and Mike swallows hard as the sound of it wraps around the base of his spine with pleasurable fingers. He almost wants to drop to his knees and offer _worship_ just based on the sound of her voice.

It takes Mike a second to find his own voice, so lost is he in the sound of hers, but he manages to pull himself together. “But I didn’t save you?” He’s not sure _why_ that ended sounding like a question, but he doesn’t really have any control over his awkwardness right now. “I mean, you saved yourself – which was seriously _awesome,_ by the way – while I just stood here, useless.”

“But it’s the thought that counts. You came to help, so thank you,” she says. She glances down and her eyes alight on the now half crinkled plastic cup in Mike’s hand. “Let me get you a drink to repay you.” Her smile widens, taking on a mischievous edge. “But maybe in a new cup, yeah? That one looks a little mangled.”

Mike follows her gaze and blushes a little at just how much he’s ruined the cup. “Oh, um, you don’t have to,” he says, risking a look back up at her.

“No, I insist, please.” She lets out a delicate giggle that hits Mike right in the chest with how _beautiful_ it is. “You’ll make me feel bad if you say no.”

God, she’s almost pouting up as she looks up at him, eyes wide and imploring and hopeful. Mike feels every defense he’s ever had, and ever will have, go up in smoke from the warmth in her eyes. And the conversation he just had with Lucas? Gone like dust in the wind, gladly forgotten.

A smile creeps onto Mike’s face beyond his control. “Well, I wouldn’t want to make you feel _bad.”_

She smiles so wide, the corners of her eyes crinkle – it’s the kind of adorable that looks beautiful on her (though, Mike thinks it’s likely that _everything_ looks beautiful on her). “Oh, good.” She turns to look at the guy who assaulted her, still lying on the ground, moaning in pain. It’s been a minute since this girl laid him out and Mike wonders how drunk this guy is if he’s still lying on the ground, pitifully groaning. “What do we do about him, do you think?” 

Mike feels like a co-conspirator as he looks sharply down at the guy. “I don’t know about you, but I’m inclined to leave him there, laying in the consequences of his own actions.”

She grins at him, sharp and fierce. Mike shivers at the steel in her expression – god, she’s someone he would _never_ want to piss off. “Sounds good to me.” Her expression softens as she approaches Mike and his heart does this wobbly thing at the transition. “Now, let's go get you that drink.”

She starts walking and Mike has no choice but to follow, trailing along after her like a lost little puppy dog. She turns, pausing so he can catch up, and his skin goes all tingly at her proximity when they start walking side by side. “I’m El, by the way.”

Mike breathes out a laugh. How is even her _name_ perfect? “I’m Mike. It’s, uh, it’s nice to meet you.”

El smiles at him, shining brighter than the sun. “Likewise.” 

Mike lets her lead him in the direction he _had_ been going – towards and out into the backyard – and he can’t help but noticing she seems to know where she’s going. “You, uh, seem to know your way around here.”

“Not really,” El says, shrugging. “I just poked around when I first got here. You know, checking to see where all the exits are and everything.”

Mike nods like he understands. He doesn’t. “Right, yeah, because why wouldn’t you?”

El peers up at him as they walk out into the late summer evening air. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Whoa, hey, no,” Mike says, holding his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “I know better than to make fun of the person getting me a drink.”

“Damn straight,” she says with a victorious smile. For a few seconds, they don’t speak as they weave their way through the backyard. It’s not as crowded as it is inside, but there’s furniture strewn about (Mike internally crows in victory at spotting what looks very much like living room furniture scattered across the lawn) and there are pockets of people, talking and laughing uproariously. Off in the shadows, Mike spots what looks like a scattered handful of couples making out, but nothing more than that.

Really, despite everything, it’s nice being outside, even if it’s only for a few moments.

“Oh, hey, look, drinks!”

El’s chirped exclamation draws Mike’s attention back to the here and now and he looks at where she’s guiding them to. It’s a patio where the kitchen spills out to and there, on a rickety folding table, is an oasis of alcohol. There are plastic cups and half-filled bottles of alcohol of all kinds, with a handful of coolers on the ground around the table.

Mike follows El as they push through the thin crowd surrounding all the drinks, claiming an empty spot at the table where someone had just been pouring themselves something. “So, what’ll you have?” El asks as she perkily grabs two cups, one in each hand, and looks up at him.

The thing is, Mike’s not a big drinker. For one, he’s still underage (which makes him wonder how old _she_ is – she seems like she’s probably his age, but Mike’s bad at being able to tell these things). And, two, even though he’s not opposed to drinking – the whole reason he’s here with her right now is because he went to go get another beer and got sidetracked, after all – he just doesn’t have a lot of experience with alcohol so he has no idea _what_ he likes.

So, Mike just shrugs and gives El a small, sheepish smile. “Whatever you want to make sounds good to me.”

El bats her eyelashes up at him, giggling. “So trusting. Really brave of you to leave yourself at my mercy.”

The lilt in her voice, along with the barest hint of suggestion in her words, ripples along Mike’s skin and it hits him a millisecond later: is she _flirting_ with him?

The question mentally knocks him sideways for a moment – because, _oh god,_ she _is_ flirting with him – but Mike manages to recover quickly. “It’s mostly a self-preservation move, really. I saw what you did to that guy and I have no desire to have you take me out – at least not like _that,”_ Mike says. There’s a teasing grin on his face and his own voice echoes the flirty lilt of hers with a masculine wryness. Flirting has never come naturally to Mike in the past, but here, with El, Mike finds it as easy as breathing, like slipping on an old sweater or sinking into bed at the end of a long day – just _effortless._

“Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind,” El says. Her eyes twinkle with mischief, alluring and exciting. It’s the kind of mischief that promises nothing but good things and the thought sends a shiver down Mike’s spine, making his breath catch in his chest.

Mike watches as El scoops ice from a large cooler into each of the cups and then turns her attention to the various bottles on the table. As she grabs a large bottle of Coke and starts pouring some into each cup, Mike asks, “So, where did you learn how to do that?”

El pauses pouring, giving the foam a chance to settle, and looks up at him with an arched eyebrow, a look that is more attractive than should be possible. “Learn how to do what?” 

“Take down a guy twice your size,” Mike says. “Because, no offense, you’re, like, tiny.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” El says, lips twisting in a wry grin. She tops off each cup with a little bit more Coke before she reaches for a bottle of what Mike thinks is vodka. “And, to answer your question, my dad’s a cop, so self-defense lessons were mandatory.”

At that, Mike’s eyebrows attempt to merge with his hairline. “A cop? Well, um, just so you know,” he says, pointing at the bottle of vodka in her hand. “I’m technically not allowed to drink. Won’t turn 21 until November.”

“My _dad’s_ a cop, not me,” El says, looking like she’s barely holding back a giggle. “And, besides, I don’t turn 21 until January, so we’re both breaking the law.”

“Your dad won’t get mad at you drinking?” Mike asks.

“Why, you gonna tell him?” El shoots back with a delicate snort. “He’s all the way back in Indiana, so what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” With that, El gives each cup a very generous pour of vodka – a couple of shots at least, by Mike’s estimation – and swirls each cup to mix it all up before she hands one to him. “A drink, for the gentleman, as promised.”

Mike takes the proffered cup and a jolt runs up his arm when his fingers brush against hers. Her skin is soft and warm from the fleeting touch and Mike wants _more._ “Thanks,” he says, voice a little raspier than is necessary, before he lips the cup to his lips and takes a sip.

Despite the amount of vodka El poured in, Mike can barely taste the alcohol, covered up as it is by the sweetness of the soda, and it goes down easy. “It’s good, not too strong tasting.”

This time, El _does_ giggle and Mike thinks it’s probably his favorite sound in the universe. “Well, this isn’t my first frat party.” She takes a sip of her own drink and glances at somewhere behind Mike before she looks up at him with a smile. “I think one of the couches on the lawn is free. Wanna go sit down?”

Mike’s forehead furrows. He’d just been beginning to brace himself for her to excuse herself and leave him all by himself, marveling helplessly over the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Yeah, sure they’ve been flirting in the past 5 minutes they’ve known each other, but Mike doesn’t know her – maybe she’s just naturally flirty. But he _does_ know she’s completely out of his league.

So he’s a little caught off guard (and yet, somehow, not surprised at the same time) when she invites him to spend _more_ time with her. He’s sure at some point, she’s going to realize he isn’t worthy to be in her presence. But, for the moment, he’s not about to question the brilliant stroke of luck that’s come his way, so Mike nods, feeling blissfully blessed the entire time. “Yeah, sure, if you want.”

“I do want, very much so,” El says with another blindingly beautiful smile. “C’mon, let’s go sit down before someone steals our spot.”

Mike’s heart jumps up into his throat at the sound of “our spot” – like they’re a _pair,_ indelibly linked – but he follows her lead quickly enough, the two of them bee-lining it for an open, two-person couch. Mike doesn’t take his eyes off of El as they sit down, watching as she gracefully folds one leg beneath her as she sits, skirt arranged just so around her thighs. He’s entranced by every single thing she does and Mike has no idea how to stop it.

“Whew, made it!” El says through a laugh before she takes another sip of her drink. “Never sure at one of these kinds of parties, if someone is going to swoop in and take your spot right before you get there.”

Mike’s lips curl up in a grin. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

El focuses her gaze back on him, looking blissfully content. Out here, it’s not so loud, the music a dull roar off in the background, so it’s easier to hear her speak. “So Mike, what do you do when you’re not rescuing girls at frat parties?”

A fierce blush explodes on his cheeks. El makes him sound so _heroic,_ when he feels anything but. “I don’t normally go to frat parties.”

“But you _do_ rescue girls?” El asks, cheeky grin on her face.

“You make it sound so special,” Mike says, squirming a bit. “But, really, anyone would have helped.”

“I can guarantee you that most people wouldn’t,” El says, grin softening to a small smile. “You’re a good guy, Mike.”

Mike breathes out a wry laugh. “How do you know? You’ve only just met me.”

El tilts her head, eyebrow arching gently. “Call it a feeling,” she says, quiet if dramatically smug. “You’re a gentleman, I can tell.”

 _A gentleman wouldn’t fight to keep from checking out your legs,_ Mike thinks as he struggles to keep his eyes up towards her face. “Well, it’s flattering that you think so.” He takes a sip of his drink, using the opportunity to think of how to change the subject. “So, do you go to school here?”

“Yeah, I’m a junior, Psych major.” El pauses, eyebrows arching with curiosity. “How about you?”

“Same, a junior, but I’m an Engineering major.”

“Ah, that explains why I haven’t seen you around campus,” El says.

Mike flushes at the insinuation that she would have noticed him even if he hadn’t stumbled upon her with a fumbled attempt at a rescue. “Well, that and there’s thousands of students who go to this school.” Though, Mike knows that if he’d seen El _anywhere_ on the Northwestern campus over the past two years, he would have immediately noticed her. She’s the kind of beautiful that draws in every eye and lights up an entire room.

“Still, you’d think we’d have at least been in the same place at the same time at least once before,” El says, lips curling. She shifts on the couch so that she’s facing him completely, one shoulder pressed into the back cushion, legs curled up by her side. She looks alluringly and intimately comfortable, her body language projecting open, inviting warmth.

“Maybe,” Mike concedes. “But you probably wouldn’t have noticed me.” As he talks, he finds his posture mirroring hers, like there’s a disconnect between his brain and his body. His mind is twisted in doubt – women as beautiful as her normally don’t give him the time of day – but the rest of him follows her lead as easy as breathing. It’s disconcerting… but also addicting.

“Oh, I beg to differ,” El says. “Especially not with someone as tall as you are.” She winks at him, then, a flirty little gesture that makes his stomach squirm, especially when her cheeks also turn an enchanting shade of pink.

“Well, now you’re just flattering me,” Mike says, words bypassing his brain entirely as they spill out of his mouth.

“Hmm, maybe.” El tilts her head, still smiling. “Or maybe I’m just telling the truth.”

Holy shit, she’s being serious. Warmth blooms in Mike’s chest at the realization and he finds himself smiling. “You’re good for a guy’s ego, I’ll give you that.”

El giggles. “Not all guys. Just the nice ones who come to a girl’s rescue even if she doesn’t need it.” She lifts her cup to her lips, hiding her smile as she takes a sip, but the coy arch to her eyebrows tells Mike everything.

There’s so much Mike wants to say, so much he wants to know. There’s an electricity in the air around him that he’s never felt before, all because of the pretty girl sitting across from him. He doesn’t know her, but he feels like he’s _supposed to,_ like he’s been waiting his whole life just to meet her, even though that doesn’t make any sense at all. It’s the most exciting thing he’s ever experienced, the emotional equivalent of standing at the edge of a cliff before diving off towards the distant ground below.

Mike doesn’t know how this is happening, or _what_ this really is, but he also knows he’d be a fool if he didn’t lean into this with everything he has, even if only to keep feeling what he’s unable to deny: that, even though it’s only been 15 minutes at most since he tried to rescue her, there’s _something_ between him and El – kismet, electric chemistry – something monumental and possibly life-changing if he can just get out of his own way long enough to seize the opportunity.

So Mike takes the cautious voice that lives perpetually in the back corner of his mind – the one shouting at him that he’s a fool if he thinks he has any hope of a shot with a woman like El – and shoves it aside hopefully never to return.

Mike smiles and his free hand comes up to run his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture that he can’t suppress before he shakes his hair to settle it back to normal. It seems like it’s a good move, though, when El’s gaze tracks the path of his hand with naked appreciation. _Oh, well **that’s** a new feeling. _ “So, you said your dad’s in Indiana. Is that where you’re from?” He pauses, chuckling. “I only ask because _I’m_ from Indiana. Not trying to be weird, I promise.”

El smirks. “Well, if you _promise,”_ she teases. “But, yeah, that’s where I’m from. Born and raised in Indianapolis. How ‘bout you?”

“A _much_ smaller town than Indianapolis. A small town called Hawkins.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that town!” El says, eyebrows arching high on her forehead with surprise. “My dad’s from there.”

Mike lets out a guffaw. “Oh my god, you’re _joking._ I’ve never met anyone who knows about Hawkins who wasn’t actually raised there.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, my dad says it’s a shit-hole town, so I don’t know if I’ve heard anything good about it,” El says as one shoulder lifts in an apologetic shrug.

“No, no, that sounds about right,” Mike says after a moment of consideration. “Believe me, I have _no_ plans of going back after I graduate.”

“Hmm, on to bigger and better things?” El asks.

A laugh escapes him. “Precisely.”

The conversation flows easily from there as they settle into an effortless back-and-forth, asking questions and giving answers in return. It’s mostly surface-level, get-to-know-you kind of stuff like where they live (she has the luxury of a small, 1 bedroom studio owned by a friend of her dad’s who rents it to college students, while he makes do crammed into a 4 bedroom house with the guys where each bedroom is the size of a postage stamp) or what their hobbies are (they both like to read, but he’s also into video games while she’s into binge watching TV dramas).

Mike has to admit that he’s _never_ hit it off with a woman before like he has with El. Talking to her is so _easy,_ but also so damn exciting. Around them, the party continues to rage on, but it might as well not exist as he loses himself in conversation, eagerly hoarding every bit of information he can learn about her while freely sharing anything she asks of him simply because it seems to make her happy to learn about him in return.

That doesn’t even begin to touch how stunned he is that the most beautiful woman he’s ever met is _also_ sweet and funny and smart – she’s literally perfection in human form. And not only that, but the way she’s looking at him makes him think that this sudden attraction might not be one-sided – that, somehow, El looks at him and sees something she wants. It’s a heady thought, goaded on by the alcohol swimming warmly in his veins with a low buzz, making him feel floaty and relaxed.

“So, you haven’t mentioned what brought you out to this party,” Mike says.

El tips back the rest of her drink and sets the cup down next to her leg. “Oh, some of my friends wanted to come out here tonight, so I let them drag me here. They’re still off in there somewhere,” she says with a lazy wave of her hand back in the direction of the frat house.

Mike’s brows furrow. “Aren’t they probably worried about you?”

At that, El thinks for a moment, face screwing up in an adorable look of concentration. “Mmm, maybe, but they’ll text me if they get worried, never mind that they know I can take care of myself.” She pauses, grinning. “Besides, I’m sitting out here with a cute, new friend, so it’s all good.”

“Cute, huh?” Is he grinning? Yeah, he’s grinning like a damn fool.

“Are you fishing for compliments or just making sure you heard me right?” El asks with a giggle. “Because I can use other words, if that’ll help. Like handsome or attractive or gorgeous….”

At that, a fierce blush creeps onto his face, grin disappearing as he’s immediately overwhelmed. “Ok, stop, we both know that’s not true,” Mike says, ducking his gaze.

The sound of rustling fabric reaches Mike’s ears and, before he can look back up, El’s knees slide into view. He looks up in a rush, startled to see that she’s moved within a foot of him. “Hey, I’m sorry,” she says, voice dipping low and quiet. “I’ve been told I’m too blunt, sometimes. I didn’t mean to come on too strong.”

Mike gulps and forces himself not to look away. “Did you mean it, though?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” El asks, head tilting gently to one side.

“Beautiful women don’t usually tell me I’m attractive.” Everything feels like it suddenly got too serious too quickly, but Mike doesn’t know how to make it stop. Maybe it’s the alcohol, or maybe it’s just _her,_ but everything feels too close to the surface and he’s powerless to affect it.

A gentle blush suffuses El’s cheeks while her eyes widen in surprise. “You think I’m beautiful?” she asks, voice going a little breathless. 

At that, Mike can’t help the dry, incredulous laugh that slips out. “You’re kidding, right? You _have_ to know that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever – ” 

The end of Mike’s sentence is consumed by the sudden sensation of El’s mouth against his. His breath catches in his throat, a gasp stuck with nowhere to go. Pleasure bursts along every nerve ending in his lips, El’s own lips soft and warm against his, as shock roots him in place. 

God, Mike doesn’t even close his eyes, frozen as he is, brain unable to get itself out from the _oh god, is she really kissing me?_ loop it’s stuck in. Sudden warmth explodes in his veins and Mike has to shiver at the way the feeling spreads through him like wildfire. 

He wants to respond, wants to return her kiss. Her mouth is hot and lush and every good thing he’s ever experienced in his entire life, rich with promise and possibility. The light scent of her perfume wraps around him with seductive fingers, calling out to him to surrender himself to her with its irresistible siren’s song. 

But just when his brain finally catches up with what’s happening and he’s just about to put that desire into action, El pulls away, jerking back with a gasp. 

Her cheeks are flushed and eyes wide as she looks up at him. She looks beyond gorgeous, even as she stares up at him with apology writ large in her gaze. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry! That was totally inappropriate of me. I don’t know what I – ”

 _Oh, no she doesn’t._ Mike doesn’t give El a chance to finish her apology as he leans in, as quickly as she just did to him, and reaffixes his mouth to hers. Only this time, with their roles reversed, El doesn’t hesitate as she returns the pressure of his kiss, letting out a surprised, little gasping moan that vibrates against his lips, sending shivers down his spine. 

Mike _falls_ in this moment – there’s no other way to put it. El’s mouth is sweet and the hand that comes up to cup his cheek is soft and delicate. One of his arms moves of its own volition so it can wrap around her, hand landing on the small of her back to anchor him as he curls into her and feels her lean into him in response. 

It’s a heart-racing, skin-tingling, all-encompassing kiss. And Mike doesn’t know if it’s because of the alcohol floating in his veins or just _her,_ but he’s never felt like this in his entire life. Kissing El feels _right_ in a way that nothing else ever has. It’s like every decision he’s ever made in his entire life has been leading him with one purpose: to be here, right now, with her, the most amazing woman he’s ever met.

Mike’s sure, though, that he would have never been able to gather up the courage or let himself be impulsive enough to kiss her if _not_ for the vodka working its way through his system, making him feel all floaty and buzzed. And he normally wouldn’t be lauding this, but he’s grateful for the liquid courage that alcohol provides – if not for that, he’s sure he would have never been brazen enough, _brave_ enough to return the favor of a sudden, passionate kiss.

For an eternity of a moment, this is all there is: El’s lips, lush against his; the delicate touch of her hand on his cheek; the slender curve of her body fitting neatly into his. It’s a kiss that promises more, that offers just a glimpse of the possibilities at their fingertips, sparkling with chemistry and heat and a sweetness that takes his breath away.

But, like all things, it has to end eventually, if only so Mike can take a moment to just _breathe._ His heart is racing out of control, lungs struggling to fill with enough are to keep pace, and he feels inches away from passing out, he’s so light-headed.

The first thing he notices when the kiss ends and he pulls back is the dazed look on El’s face. For a couple of seconds, her eyes remain shut, mouth parted in the shape of their kiss, lips gently glistening in the dimly-lit backyard, cheeks flushed with an alluring shade of pink that Mike wants to trace with his fingers as far as it goes.

And then her eyes slowly open, lashes fluttering, and Mike’s heart flutters alongside them. “Don’t you dare be sorry,” he says. His voice is low and thick with a potent combination of emotion and desire, a maelstrom of sensation given form.

El lightly gasps through parted lips, staring up at him with something akin to awe, before she smiles. The gentle curve of her lips is the most beautiful sight Mike swears he’s ever seen. “Ok, I won’t, then.” Her words end in a giggle, which gets Mike gently laughing, too.

This feels like a dream, like something out of a story – something that happens to other, more special people. Mike’s never had the kind of luck to get to experience something like this. But maybe, just maybe, his luck is turning around. “So, now what?”

“I don’t know.” El’s smile turns almost teasing, bright with mischief. “I’ve never kissed a near-stranger at a frat party before, so this is all new to me.”

The air leaves Mike’s lungs in a huffed laugh. “Same here.”

“But I do know I don’t regret it,” El says. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I’ve never met anyone like you before – I’ve never _felt_ like this with anyone before.”

“Me neither,” Mike says with a sigh. “All I know is that I don’t want this night to be over.”

“Then let’s keep it going,” El says, hand coming to rest lightly against his chest, right above his rapidly beating heart. “We can keep going as long as we want, explore what this means.”

A relieved smile breaks onto Mike’s face. “Did you have something in mind?”

As Mike watches, El takes a second to think, face scrunching in an adorable expression of contemplation, before she smiles, eyes lighting up in response. “How do you feel about late night diners?”

* * *

  
Slipping away from the party is ridiculously easy. Mike fires off a quick, vague text message to Dustin and Lucas saying that he’ll see them at home – and since he really doesn’t want to deal with their nosy questions, he waits until he knows the message is sent before he stuffs his phone in his back pocket – just in time to see El finishing up the same thing. She slips her phone into a hidden pocket sewn into the seam of her skirt and stands up as she beams down at him. “Shall we?” she asks, hand outstretched.

Mike stands up next to her and takes her hand. It’s the easiest thing in the world to let his fingers lace together with hers – _everything_ about being with her is the easiest thing in the world. Maybe it won’t always be this way, but for the moment it feels like nothing short of magic. “We shall.”

El’s hand is warm in his and her smile is so bright it’s almost blinding and Mike thinks that maybe, just maybe, he’ll never need anything else. Wordlessly, they make their way through the party and out of the frat house. El takes the lead and Mike gladly lets her, following behind her as she cuts through crowds of people like a knife, letting him trail easily in her wake.

They don’t talk until they’re outside and the frat house is some distance behind them. There are pockets of people lingering on the sidewalk, but it’s nothing like the press of bodies inside the frat house and Mike feels like he can finally breathe easier. “So, where are we going?” he asks, giving El’s hand a gentle tug to emphasize the question.

“You’ll see,” El says, looking up at him with a secretive smile. 

A laugh breathes out of him. “Are you always this mysterious or is it just for me?”

“Maybe I’m just more of a ‘show, don’t tell’ kinda girl,” El says with what Mike can only describe as a saucy wink. 

A delicious shiver runs down Mike’s spine at the sight and the smile that stretches along his lips is one he’s unable to suppress. “Did you know that you’re a tease?” The taunting words are fueled by both the flirty jubilation and the remnants of the alcohol in his system, even as a blush explodes across his cheeks.

“Being a tease implies that I’m just going to taunt you without following through. But since there really _is_ a diner, I’m not being a tease – I’m just leading you on an adventure with a surprise at the end.” El smiles up at him as she swings their hands back and forth between them, jubilant and adorable. 

Somehow, and Mike still isn’t sure exactly how, El looks like there’s nowhere she’d rather be than right here with him, guiding him along to this mystery diner that she’s planning on surprising him with. But Mike knows better than to question this stroke of luck that’s come his way and he’s going to embrace this opportunity with both hands for as long as he gets to experience it.

“Well, this diner better be legit, then,” Mike says as he teasingly bumps her shoulder with his arm (it was _supposed_ to be shoulder to shoulder, but he’s so much taller than her that that’s just impossible).

A sweet giggle escapes her and El sidles up even closer. His arm presses along her entire side as she all but wraps around it, still holding his hand while her other arm curls around his, her touch warm through the thin fabric of his shirt. “It will be, I promise.”

The diner is, in fact, legit as it turns out. Mike’s passed by this way a few times so he’s pleased to recognize it, but he’s never actually been in there. El leads him through the front door, still resolutely plastered to his side, and he lets her do all the talking as the hostess, a grizzled woman not much older than them, greets them and sees them to a table, a couple of menus tucked under her arm.

Mike just lets himself marvel over everything about this place as he and El are led to their table. The interior of the diner looks like it’d be at home in the 50s or 60s, all vinyl booths and faded Formica tables. The menus are tattered around the edges, the protective plastic faintly sticky with what Mike is sure is probably maple syrup. 

But, for as kitschy and retro as it is, Mike’s more focused on the woman pressed up against his side. When they get seated at their table – a booth with minimally cracked red vinyl seats – Mike slides in on one side and is surprised when, instead of sitting across from him, El slides in next to him, not stopping until they’re pressed together from shoulder to knee. A pleasurable shudder runs through him that Mike does nothing to hide – the feeling of her so close to him is just too good.

Mike looks over in time to see El giving him a knowing smile before she grabs one of the menus in front of them on the table. “So, what are you gonna get?” she asks as she cracks open the menu.

Mike is so busy staring at her, marveling at both her beauty and her closeness, that it takes him a moment to realize that she’s asked him a question. “Oh, um, I don’t know,” he hurries to say as he reaches for the other menu, fumbling for it a little bit. “What about you? What are you going to get?”

El gives him a flirty side-eye – clearly, she noticed him staring – before she turns back to the task at hand. “Probably the Belgian waffle,” she says, eyes skimming the menu. “It’s pretty much what I always get here.”

“So I take it you come here often,” Mike says as he starts to try and figure out what to eat. He’s not the most hungry, but something tells him he might want to keep his energy up. Is it optimism? Maybe, but Mike’s a planner at the end of the day. So, he’ll eat.

“Well, I’m not, like, here every day or anything,” El says with a laugh. “But every other week or so. It reminds me of this place I go to with my dad back home. He and I would go there every Sunday before I left for college and, when I go home, we still keep up the habit.”

Mike smiles despite himself. “That sounds nice.” There’s more Mike wants to say, but he gets interrupted as their server comes to their table. Mike hurries to pick out something to eat as El starts to order, settling on eggs and hash browns as El orders her waffle. They both order Cokes to go with it and, with their orders taken, are left alone once more as the server wanders off.

Mike leans back and twists so he can look at El. “So, sounds like you and your dad are close,” Mike says, going back to what they’d been talking about before they got interrupted.

El mirrors his position, shoulder pressing into the cushioned back of the booth, and nods. “Yeah, it’s just been him and me for a long time, so we really didn’t have anyone but each other.” Her hand comes up to tuck her hair behind her ear – the gesture is both delicate and flirty all at the same time and Mike’s heart thumps in his chest. “How about you? You close to your parents?”

A sharp snort escapes him before he can stop it. “Not particularly,” Mike says with a roll of his eyes. “I’m the middle child and, between my sisters and me, I’m the one my parents probably understand the least.”

El’s face softens in sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she says, hand reaching out to rest on his forearm.

Mike’s heart squeezes painfully at the gentle regard in her voice. He’s not used to people being so kind, to caring so much about _him_ like this. “It’s ok,” he says as he tries to shrug it off. “I have my best friends and they’re closer to me than family most of the time.”

A spark lights up in El’s eyes, brightening her whole expression, and her lips curl up in a soft smile. “Tell me about them, your best friends.”

The request launches them into a whole conversation about the people close to them, Mike telling her about the Party, El telling him about her best friend Max. Their food comes somewhere in the middle of this, and they continue to talk as they eat, letting the conversation take them where it will. It seems like they can’t stay on one topic for long in their eagerness to find out as much as they possibly can about the other person.

And, the entire time, Mike can’t keep his eyes off of El. He can barely look away to eat, he’s so smitten and entranced. And it’s not just one thing – it’s _everything,_ from the way her eyes sparkle as she talks to the sweet curve of her lips as she smiles to the way her hair shines beneath the overhead lights of the diner. El is the most amazing person he’s ever met and, _god,_ does Mike want to kiss her again.

If they were still at the party, he wouldn’t even be hesitating. The alcohol that had been swimming in his veins gave him the bravery to kiss her the first time – and that was only because _she_ had kissed him first! But both time and food have sobered him up and robbed him of that earlier bravery, leaving him only able to stare at her, almost unable to keep his eyes off her lips.

But want turns into a need when, after eating a bite of her waffle, El’s tongue flashes out with a dainty lick, swiping up the last bit of syrup that lingers on her lips. Mike’s stomach swoops, heat settling low in his chest, and he gulps heavily as need skitters along every nerve. “Can I kiss you?” The words come spilling out of his mouth without his control, and his face blushes hot and fierce. But he doesn’t look away and he takes that as a small victory.

El freezes for a moment before she looks at him with wide eyes. A blush creeps up her cheeks and those gorgeous lips curl up in a smile that is as shy as it is excited. “You’re asking for permission now? Earlier you just kissed me without warning.”

Mike’s mouth feels a little like someone has stuffed it with cotton. “Yeah, well….” Mike lets his voice trail off as he struggles to find the right words. “I was buzzed then and, well… I didn’t want to presume. So asking seemed like the right thing to do.”

El’s eyelids flutter shut and she looks down, taking in a shuddering breath like she just needs a moment. And when she looks back up at him, her smile is so wide, it makes the cutest dimples appear on her cheeks. “Mike.” The way she says his name with breathless wonder makes his chest swell with an emotion that is too heavy to name, but one that warms and thrills him by equal measure. “You can kiss me whenever you want. No permission needed.” A giggle escapes her. “I’ve actually been wondering when you were gonna kiss me again. You’ve been staring at my lips the entire time we’ve been here.”

“That obvious, huh?” Mike asks with a wry smile as he sheepishly ducks his gaze.

“You mean you were trying to hide it?” There’s a teasing tone in El’s voice accompanied by another giggle and when Mike looks back at her, she’s still smiling brighter than the sun.

“Not well, apparently.” Oddly, the flirty, back-and-forth teasing is helping and Mike finds himself relaxing into the thrill of it all.

“It’s sweet that you were concerned with trying,” El says, expression softening into something warm and inviting. “But I think we’ve gotten off track.”

Mike’s so dazed by El that, for a moment, he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. “Hmm, how?”

At that, a coyness comes over El’s face in the form of an arched eyebrow and a flirty grin. “You wanted to kiss me, remember? I’m still waiting.”

A breathless laugh escapes Mike, electricity sizzling across his skin. “Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting….” He reaches for her, unable to stop himself. Being given permission removes the last of Mike’s hesitancy and, well, Mike’s always been something of a people pleaser – after all, El’s waiting and he would _hate_ to disappoint.

The skin of El’s cheek is smooth beneath his palm as Mike cups her face and the delicate gasp that escapes from between her lips makes him shiver. He leans in, fumbling a little as his nose bumps lightly against hers, and he feels her face tip right before their lips meet.

If kissing her at a dark college party with a couple of shots of alcohol in him made him feel even more buzzed, kissing El while sober feels like diving into a lake of cool, crisp water. His heart leaps into his throat and his breath freezes in his chest while goosebumps explode along every inch of his skin. It’s a physical rush he almost can’t describe, but one he knows he wants to experience as often as he’s lucky enough to be able to.

El’s mouth glides against his and he can taste the faintest, lingering hint of maple syrup on her lips. Mike chases that taste and his mouth slants hard against hers as his tongue flicks out in a gentle caress. El lets out a gasp, the sound swallowed by their kiss, and her lips part just so, inviting his tongue to sweep in and brush along hers.

They both groan at the contact and heat steadily builds inside Mike’s veins. His hand slides up into her hair to anchor him, fingers immediately engulfed in the silken strands that feel cool against his heated skin. El’s hair is as soft as it looks and he’s immediately addicted to the feel of it weaving through his fingers. 

Meanwhile, El isn’t just sitting there letting Mike kiss her. Her own hands are reaching for him, one braced low on his chest while the other comes up to rest along the curve between his neck and shoulder, thumb and first two fingers pressed gently on the skin just above the collar of his shirt. The touch of her hand against his skin sends a thrill running through him and Mike kisses her just that much harder. 

It doesn’t matter that they’re in the middle of a late night diner. Mike loses himself in their kisses, letting the passion of it wash over and through him. He’s _never_ experienced a kiss like this and he never wants it to end.

But they _are_ in the middle of a diner and Mike is self-conscious enough to be painfully aware of that fact. So instead of chasing El’s lips for another kiss when their mouths part, Mike leans back just enough so he can look down at her. 

Mike absolutely does not miss the tiny whimper that El lets out, a sound that sends a jolt straight down his spine. And if not for the fact that half the restaurant is looking at them with varying levels of annoyance, Mike wouldn’t be able to resist kissing her again. “People are staring at us.”

El’s eyes flutter open and a dazed, mischievous smile creeps up onto her face. “Is that a problem?”

“Only if they throw us out for causing a scene,” Mike says, mirroring her smile. 

“Well I think I’m done eating if you are. We could get out of here, leave before they kick us out.” El arches an eyebrow, questioning and playful. “So, what do you say, wanna get out of here?”

Mike’s hand is already halfway up so he can flag down their server as he breathes out a giddy laugh. “I’ll go wherever you want.”

* * *

  
“Wherever you want” turns out to be an empty park shrouded in darkness that they find after 10 minutes of aimless wandering, walking side-by-side with hands tightly laced together. Mike thinks he’ll always carry with him the moment of El turning to him with a look of unabashed joy, smile bright and gaze warm, and saying “Hey, look, swings!” with a giggle in her voice and a hand outstretched with excitement as she tugs him in the direction of the small playground.

It’s a moment full of magic, a moment that seems, if Mike is lucky, like it will last forever. There’s something simply beautiful in sitting on a swing next to a pretty girl while they gently sway back and forth, talking and giggling and having the time of their lives. 

Occasionally, El will reach out and grab the closer of the two chains holding up his swing and pull herself over to him so she can kiss him. Or he’ll hook his ankle around hers and pull them closer together so _he_ can instigate a kiss instead of the other way around.

It’s carefree and happy in a way Mike has never felt before and he thinks it’s entirely because of El, that she brings out something in him that just lets him feel like this.

But this moment won’t last forever. Time continues to march forward and every second that ticks by is one more second to the moment where Mike’s going to have to say goodbye to this magical evening.

But goodbye doesn’t have to be permanent and Mike is already thinking about how he can do this with El again.

Swallowing heavily, Mike gathers up every last shred of his courage and resists the urge to look away. “So, um, I was wondering something.”

El tilts her head gently to one side and she gives him an encouraging smile. “Yeah, what is it?”

“You can say no, if you want to, but I’d like to do this again sometime.” Mike pauses, heart leaping into his throat. “Well, not _exactly_ this – I was thinking something fancier, more romantic, where I, like, pick you up for a nice dinner or something. But only if you want and you can say no – I’d totally understand.” Mike tries his damndest not to cringe. But, god, he’s _rambling_ – seriously, just shoot him now. Why does he always trip over his words when it’s something really important? Why can’t he just be _smooth?_

“Why would I say no?” El’s brow furrows, but she’s still smiling, so Mike takes that as a good sign. Still….

“Well, you know,” Mike says, voice rough and thick, nervous energy tangling wildly with the constant self-deprecation that runs beneath the surface. “It’s just… I’ve never had the best luck with women. And women like you don’t go for guys like me. Not in my experience, at any rate.” He bows his head, unable to keep up his brave front. “So I would totally understand if you just wanted this to be a fun night and nothing more.”

For a moment, silence stretches heavily over them and Mike just wants to sink into the ground. _Yes, great, you just **had** to open up about how pathetic you are when things were going so well. Why can’t you get out of your own way for fucking once? _ El’s going to think he’s pathetic and a loser, now that he’s opened up the deep well of insecurity. No girl wants a guy like that, not for long. 

The chains of El’s swing rattle and Mike can’t stop himself from bracing for disappointment. So he’s surprised when El steps into view, forcing him to lean back so she can sit down across his lap. The shocking warmth and svelte weight pressing into his thighs makes Mike jump and shiver, overwhelmed by her sheer proximity. 

“Mike,” El says, his name barely more than a whispered exhalation on her lips. “I would _love_ to do this again with you. It doesn’t even have to be at a fancy restaurant. I know I only just met you, but I _really_ like you and I really want to see where this goes.” She smiles and reaches for him, one hand cupping his cheek, her fingers flirting with the line of his jaw. “And don’t say that women like me don’t go for guys like you. Because you’re exactly my type.”

The words are a warm salve on the wounds long carved into his heart and Mike finds himself smiling like an idiot, beaming up at her as happiness fills him. “Yeah?”

El lets out the most delicate giggle he’s ever heard. “Yeah, you are.”

Mike’s completely unable to resist kissing her – hell , he doesn’t even _try._ He swoops in and captures her lips in a sudden, dizzying kiss that has both of them gasping against each other’s mouth. His arms find their way around her and one hand lands on the small of her back, fingers splayed against her so that the strip of bare skin exposed between her skirt and her top is just beneath the touch of his thumb and forefinger. He lightly caresses the skin that’s been teasing him all evening, fingers moving with a mind of their own, and can’t bring himself to worry about it when El’s soft whimper vibrates against his mouth and she arches into him, like she suddenly can’t get close enough. 

They sit there like this for Mike doesn’t know how long – pressed up against and wrapped up in each other, mouths trading kisses that set him on fire with dizzying, electric heat. His hands occupy themselves with tracing the shape of her waist and hips, fingers flirting with the band of exposed skin at her waist. Meanwhile, hers trace paths up and down his arms and shoulders with the occasional dip of her fingers beneath the collar of his shirt that lights up his every nerve.

It’s heady and thrilling and, like all good things, ends way too soon. El breaks the kiss, leaving both of them gasping and struggling to catch their breath. Her lips, swollen from their kisses, curl up in a breathless smile. “Kissing you is way too easy.”

Mike lets out a laugh, feeling dazed with how happy he is right now. “Good to hear.” It hits him in this moment that their time out here is just about at an end. There’s barely any light, except for the shine of a couple of streetlights off in the distance, and Mike knows it has to be well after midnight. “It’s getting late, though,” he says, unable to keep the sigh from his voice. “Can I walk you home?”

“Is this a ploy to find out where I live?” El asks, a giggle in her voice.

“I mean, it’ll make it easier to know where to go pick you up for a date,” Mike says with an undertone of humor. “But, no, I just want to make sure you get home safe.”

A shuddering breath escapes from El and her smile grows even wider. “God, you’re unreal, did you know that?”

Mike’s brow furrows. “Is that… a good thing?”

El leans forward so her forehead presses against his. “That’s a _very_ good thing. You’re sweet and kind and just a good guy, Mike. There aren’t enough guys like you out in the world. Don’t ever change.”

It’s Mike’s turn to draw in a shuddering breath and he relaxes into El’s embrace. “Thank you. I know it sounds stupid, but that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“It’s just the truth,” El says, nothing but sincerity in her voice. She brushes a soft kiss against his lips and, sooner than Mike would like, gets up off his lap. His gaze follows her as she stands and she holds out her hand to him, encouraging him to take it. “Take me home?”

Mike smiles and takes her hand, easy as breathing. “Gladly.”

They don’t talk much as El leads them to her place. A quick glance at his phone (solidly ignoring the missed text messages from Lucas and Dustin) shows Mike that it’s nearly 1:30 in the morning, a time of night that calls for hushed, intimate late night walks. There are coy smiles and lingering sidelong gazes and the occasional stop to exchange hand-clutching, soft and giddy kisses and, the whole time, Mike feels like he’s in the middle of a dream he never wants to wake up from.

It takes them maybe 20 minutes to make their way to El’s place, a quaint free-standing studio apartment built on the corner of a large lot, set away from a main house and complete with its own walkway and entrance off the street. The lit sconce by the upper corner of the front door casts a warm, homey glow, like a beacon in a storm.

As they head up the walkway, El fishes her keys out of the pocket of her skirt with her free hand and turns to Mike when they stop in front of the door. “Well, this is me.”

Mike smiles, feeling bittersweet. It’s been such an amazing evening, he’s loathe to let it go. “Nice place – cute and small, kinda like you.”

El giggles and sidles up to him. “And you haven’t even seen the inside of it yet, either. I could give you the tour and maybe, after, we could watch a movie or something.” Her invitation is accompanied by an arched eyebrow, unmistakably flirty, and by the gentle glide of her hand up onto his chest, her touch barely there as her hand rests against his sternum.

Mike’s heart leaps up into his throat and his skin suddenly feels two sizes too small. “It’s almost 2 in the morning. Kinda late for a movie.”

“Is that a problem?” El asks, grinning.

“No, no, just pointing it out.” Mike regards her intensely, tilting his head as he looks down at her. “You sure you’re ok with me staying?”

“I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t sure,” El says, somehow managing to get even closer until she has to tilt her head all the way back to keep looking up at him. “So, what do you say?” She presses up onto her toes and Mike finds himself leaning into her just enough for her lips to brush against his in a whisper of a kiss, hot and seductive. “Do you wanna come inside?”

 _Jesus._ The naked suggestion in her voice, the blatant double entendre, has Mike swallowing heavily and his stomach swoops dizzyingly, making him feel a little weak in the knees as excitement thrums in his veins. “I think I could be persuaded to stay for the right movie,” he manages to say, witty and flirty despite the thickening of his voice and the way he can’t stop smiling like an idiot.

El’s smile is victory and promise all at the same time, both gorgeous and triumphant. “Right, one tour and a movie, coming right up,” she says as she pulls him towards her while lowering herself back onto her heels so she can unlock the door and open up the next phase of their night together. She makes it look easy and effortless to be so beautiful and charming and Mike has no idea how this is even his life right now. But he _does_ know he’s not going to question it.

Not one little bit.

* * *

  
It’s the sound of his cell phone ringing that pulls Mike out of sleep. Not the light coming from the wrong side of the room or the unfamiliar softness of the mattress beneath him or the thrill of the warm body cozied up in his slumbering embrace.

No, it’s his cell phone, blaring loudly, and yanking Mike out of the most relaxed, satisfying sleep he’s ever had in his entire life.

Grumbling, Mike closes his eyes tighter and burrows into a soft cloud of silken hair and fluffy down pillow, waiting for the sound to eventually end.

It does, but Mike only gets one blissful second of silence before the ringing starts right back up again, skittering across Mike’s eardrums like nails on a chalkboard.

Frustration surges inside of him and it’s with a whimper that Mike forces himself to move, sacrificing the warmth in his arms so he can roll over and root around on the floor for wherever the hell his pants ended up.

“Wha’s goin’ on?” comes from behind him just as Mike’s found his discarded jeans and curled his fingers around his phone, still in his front pocket.

Mike glances at the caller ID as he lays back down and sleepily rolls his eyes as he sees Dustin’s name flashing across his screen. “What?” he barks out as he answers the phone, voice raspy and sleep-rough. He presses the phone to his ear as he sinks back into pillows.

“Dude, where the fuck have you been?” 

There’s an echo in Dusin’s voice that lets Mike know he’s on speaker and Mike gets double confirmation when Lucas chimes in. “Yeah, man, we’ve been worried.”

Normally, Mike would feel bad for making his friends worried. But Mike’s not in the mood to open up about what had turned out to be something so personal. “I’m fine, you guys don’t need to worry about me.” His words are slurred with sleep and they end with a heaved, exhausted sigh.

“Wait, are you _drunk?”_ This is from Will, who sounds like he’s becoming amused as the worry fades.

“Not drunk, just tired. Didn’t get much sleep.” Mike’s a little more awake now and he has just enough presence of mind to pull his phone away so he can check the time. It’s a little after 9, so he’s only been asleep for a handful of hours.

“Which brings me back to the question: where are you? You just disappeared after a cryptic text message and wouldn’t tell us anything else. And you _clearly_ didn’t come home,” Dustin says.

Before Mike can even think of what to say, the sensation of a warm body pressing against him accompanied by the glide of naked skin makes him jump, heart leaping into his throat in the best possible way. “Who is it?” El asks, voice breathy and sleepy, as she curls up against him, throwing one arm across his chest, hooking her leg over his thigh, and pressing her face into the curve of his neck.

Mike moves the phone away from his face so he’s not speaking directly into the mouthpiece. “Shh, it’s just my friends, go back to sleep.” 

On the other end of the phone, he can hear nothing but shocked silence until Lucas lets out a low whistle. “Dude….”

“Mike, holy shit, did you hook up last night?” The question comes from Dustin and Mike hears the sound of someone – probably Will – smacking him with Dustin’s accompanied “ow!” following shortly after.

“Guys, it’s not like that,” Mike says, protesting. Because what happened last night was _not_ hooking up.

Ok, sure, it definitely ended with him and El naked in her bed – 

_(movie invite a thin and flimsy plan that is shredded to pieces the moment the door closes behind them and she pulls him in for a kiss that sets them both aflame – the two of them on her couch, her straddling his lap, both of them half undressed, as their hands wander and their mouths roam – her words “bedroom, now,” whispered into his ear with shivering intensity – the rest of the night a haze of passion until they collapse, sated, into each other’s arms, falling asleep hopelessly and beautifully entangled….)_

– but it was absolutely not a random hook up. Not if Mike has anything to say about it. And, if he’s right, Mike thinks El 100% agrees with him. Which makes him so happy, he can barely think straight. 

But this isn’t exactly what he wants to tell the rest of the Party over the phone when he’s half asleep and has a naked woman draped over him. 

_Especially_ when said naked woman has just started peppering the skin of his neck with light, suckling kisses. 

_Oh boy,_ Mike thinks as he swallows heavily and tries his damndest not to start whimpering. But it’s hard when each kiss sends a bolt of pleasure straight down his spine, heating him up from within. 

“See, man, I _knew_ it!” Lucas crows in victory. “You just needed to put yourself back out there.”

“That’s… not exactly what happened,” Mike says with a weak, strangled voice. El has shifted against him, sliding fully on top of him so that her knees are firmly planted on either side of his hips, while her mouth inches its way up his neck and along his jawline.

“What’s her name? Does she go to school here? Is she hot?” Dustin’s questions come rapid-fire, one stacked on top of the other. 

Mike can’t think, mouth working as he tries to make words come out. Pleasure is beginning to drown everything out as his mind throws off the last remnants of sleep. “I don’t – I mean – ”

Before Mike can continue sputtering, El reaches up and grabs the phone from his hand. “I’m sorry, Mike’s going to have to call you back later,” she says before she hangs up on his friends. 

Mike is already laughing as he reaches for her, pulling El's mouth down to his as he hears her drop his phone on to the carpet next to her bed. El enthusiastically returns the kiss and one of Mike’s hands slides up into her hair as he rolls them over and begins returning the favor of El’s earlier trail of kisses along his jaw and neck. “I can’t believe you hung up on my friends,” Mike says between kisses, unable to stop laughing. 

El lets out these little breathless giggles that are interspersed with tiny gasps as his mouth teases the sensitive flesh along the length of her neck. “Why not? So many better things you could be doing.”

Mike grins. “Things? Or people?” He lifts his head so he can look down at her and get his first glimpse of her in the light of day. The sunlight pours in through gauzy, light blue curtains, casting the room in a gentle, hazy glow, and El is _beautiful_ in the light. Her hair, lush and dark, spills across the pillows in a sea of chestnut silk, and he can see the faintest dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, pairing nicely with the light blush creeping up her cheeks. 

But what’s really getting him is the sparkle in El’s warm, brown eyes and the euphorically happy smile pulling up on her lips. It’s the most beautiful sight Mike thinks he’s ever seen. “You mean it can’t be both?” El says teasingly, the arch of her eyebrow full of suggestion. “Don’t limit yourself if you don’t have to.”

A laugh sputters out of him and Mike shakes his head in amused incredulity. “God, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, I swear.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” El says as her arms come up to wrap around his neck. 

“Just the pretty ones who invite me into their place under false movie watching pretenses.” Mike can’t stop laughing, but he manages to suppress it enough to get the words out, smiling all the while.

El rolls her eyes, but she’s still smiling. “Oh, please, you knew exactly what was going to happen when I invited you in. You’re an engineering major – you’re smarter than that.”

“Hmm, maybe,” Mike says as he leans down to kiss her. “But you were still playing coy, don’t forget.”

“Worked, though, so no regrets,” El manages to get out before his mouth crashes down onto hers, rendering words useless. 

Mike can feel rational thought slipping away, desire starting to pull him under, and before he succumbs completely, he pulls away just enough so he can speak. “Go out with me tonight.”

“I’ll go anywhere with you,” El says, words barely above a breathy whisper. “Just, please, kiss me again?”

Mike smiles, delirious with happiness. “As the lady wishes,” he says before he does, indeed, kiss her again. 

He’ll eventually take her out later that evening, El letting him go long enough so he can escape home to shower and change, going back to pick her up and taking her to a nice sushi restaurant he likes, one that’s small and intimate in its authenticity. That night, he’ll spend a good chunk of the bi-weekly paycheck he earns at his job at the library treating her to dinner, but it’ll be worth it when she invites him back to her place once more, the two of them easily falling back into her bed. 

It’ll be a first date that never seems to ever end, hours stretching into days as they refuse to say goodbye, separating only to go to class or work, it seems. He’ll introduce her to the Party and he’ll realize, watching her interact with his friends, that he’s already starting to fall in love with her. And, from the way she looks at him, he’ll think it’s the same for her, too. 

They’ll never willingly spend a night apart, even from the beginning, deciding a few months in to just move in together. People will think it’s moving a little fast – her dad and his mom, mostly – but Mike and El, they’ll know. This _isn’t_ too fast. How can it be when it feels this right? 

“When you know, you know,” they’ll say in their defense. And they’ll be right, as time passes – months, _years_ – and they’ll still be together, still going strong. 

On the far off horizon, there’ll be marriage and careers and building a family, challenges and triumphs, and still, they’ll be together, united as one, hopeless and devotedly in love. 

But, for right now, there’s just this: laughter, joy, and desire; words wholly unnecessary as they get caught up in each other, the rest of the world completely unimportant. 

And Mike’s last thought before thinking becomes impossible, is this: 

_Thank god for frat parties._

**Author's Note:**

> Up next: my one-woman mission to rehabilitate S3 or die trying....
> 
> _i think i can, i think i can, i think i can....._


End file.
